I suppose it really should be “The Medina Family’s Hinayupak na Ensaimada” but everyone was so amused with Marc’s comments in the previous post on the Saveur article that I christened it Marc’s Hinayupak Ensaimada Recipe… Okay, I made it last weekend at the beach and here are some tips, comments, reactions and results. First off, let me say that for the reduced effort (less steps than other recipes I have tried), the results were very good. This is more cakey than the recipe we use in our family, but it is definitely far more artisanal than the fluffy cakey ones for sale in the malls. I will reiterate that I once wrote this was one of the best ensaimadas commercially available and I still believe that.
I pretty much followed the recipe in the Saveur article, however, with Marc’s comments, I decided to change a few of the ingredients as he suggested, or where I was confident of my own revisions… I will describe my steps so those daunted by this recipe will feel more comfortable about attempting it. I used UHT St. Paul’s milk in a packaging brick (didn’t have fresh milk at the beach). Even without reading Sister’s comment in the previous post, I too felt that 3 tablespoons of yeast was a lot, and since I have experienced exploding dough before, I made a command decision to reduce this amount to three foil packets of Fleischmann’s yeast instead. That was roughly 1 tablespoon or so, I think (actually, it turns out to be closer to 2 tablespoons). At any rate, use good yeast. And Marc is correct, if you use three tablespoons, you can taste the yeast, as I have often told him when I have purchased his ensaimadas. It’s a different approach, that’s all. But I stuck with the smaller amount of yeast. I also decided to use the butter in the “red can” (Queensland) as Marc suggested, as it has a stronger flavor. Alternatively, I would use unsalted butter, under the guise that unsalted butter is supposedly the better quality butter, without the salt to mask any taste imperfections. Just add salt to taste… but in this case there is tons of queso de bola, so salt is NOT an issue. That is why Marc’s recipe has no salt. I also wonder how aged edam in the U.S. works in lieu of QdB.
If you have good yeast, and you follow the recipe instructions carefully, your first rise after just a 15-20 minute rest will look like this. Then you have to add lots more eggs and butter. We used organic eggs, roughly “LARGE” size; but since I wasn’t convinced our large is New York large, I added one yolk, for a total of 23 yolks and 2 whole eggs.
The dough is then stretched by hand on a buttered marble slab…
…then sprinkled with grated cheese ad rolled up. Marc found the amounts suggested by Saveur to be too little, and I have to admit, I used more than 1 and 2/3 cups recommended, but I did not go as far as Marc’s suggestion of using a whole small ball of queso de bola. I think I used just over half of a small ball or roughly 2.5 cups of grated cheese. I used finely grated cheese inside the dough and a much larger grate for the cheese on top of the ensaimada…
The dough snakes are then coiled into a 5 and 1/2 inch mold and the end tucked under. Mine looked a bit bizarre, but I have coiling issues. I then sprinkled the top with lots of large grate cheese, as mark suggested, but here I am of two minds. The cheese didn’t melt into the ensaimada, it melted on it, and in some cases, burned. Some folks thought this was brilliant and full of character, others, like me, regretted not leaving half of this batch cheese-topping free. I managed to make 12 large ensaimadas… and frankly, had I used 3 tablespoons of yeast, I could have made 15 or more with this recipe.
I stuck the dough in an oven that wasn’t turned on and which has no pilot light, and let the ensaimadas rise while I briskly walked for 1 hour around the neighborhood to justify eating all of this ensaimada in the hours ahead… If you want to achieve as close to Marc’s ensaimadas for sale at the Salcedo market, I suggest you use LOCAL yeast not Fleishmann’s as part of the flavor comes from that yeast, and use a WHOLE LOT OF CHEESE. The grated cheese incorporated into the dough is what differentiates the Medina version. I always knew there was queso de bola IN the dough, I just never realized how much. The more cheese you put, the more oily the bottom of the ensaimada is when you buy it the day after it is baked. I always thought it was the butter content, now I know it is the oil content from the melted cheese.
Our oven was set to 350 degrees exactly, and I have a separate thermometer to check the temperature, but the ensaimadas browned a little too fast, looking perfect at about 13 minutes, rather than the suggested 18-20 minutes. My suggestion? Try 330F instead. But the darned things just grew like crazy and looked wicked wonderful as you can see in this photo. I let them cook for roughly 16.5-17 minutes total, but could have probably removed them at 1-2 minutes earlier.
Once the mini-monster ensaimadas were out of the oven, the Teen and Mrs. MM did the hard work (heehee) of brushing the ensaimadas with butter and sprinkling them with sugar. Note the burnt bits of cheese on top. Again, some liked this, I would take them out the next time.
The ensaimadas were delicious straight out of the oven, and also good a couple of hours later. They remained good the following morning as well, though as expected, they deflated a bit. You may want to add more butter and sugar than we put in the photos here. Despite the high cheese content, the near savory taste of these went well with homemade jam and more butter. I sent a couple of ensaimadas to some friends who had guests with Filipino-Austrian, French and Cebuano-Spanish blood and all of them said they were delicious. Other Pinoy friends at a nearby beach cove also seemed to like the results. This is not a sickly sweet version, and with just 3/4 cup of sugar in the dough countered by all that salty cheese, it is different from some of the other ensaimadas you are familiar with.
Thank you so much to Marc for sharing the recipe, and for adding his colorful comments. And thank you Robyn for writing that article in Saveur! And to pre-empt any comments about which ensaimada, commercial or not, is better, let me just say it is a matter of taste. For me, any food made with care, using brilliant ingredients, prepared with soul, and a healthy respect for the process, usually yields a wonderful result. Now if only more folks would share recipes such as these, and we somehow manage to document them, Filipino food culture wouldn’t disappear as artisanal cooks throughout the country pass away and take their culinary “secrets” with them to their graves… As for the term “hinayupak,” I had honestly NEVER heard or noticed or used it in a sentence before. But the entire weekend at the beach, it was hinayupak this, and hinayupak that, and Marc, they were defnitely hinayupak na ensaimada! Salamat! (P.S. Now that you have shared your recipe, and despite my saying it is doable, more folks will nevertheless head to Salcedo Market this weekend and wipe out whatever stock you send to your stall… so you better warn your cook to make an extra big batch this weekend lest Marketmanila readers start a riot at the market! Heeheehee.)
118 Responses
I tried your previous ensaimada part 2 recipe and made my own revisions and my family loved it. It was a cross between a croissant and a brioche, although I made only half the recipe and used ghee (clarified butter) instead of butter/lard, and I also totally omitted the addition of corn oil, except using some just to rub the insides of the bowl where it rested to bulk up. I did use softened salted butter for spreading before rolling and twisting. It took me over 12 hours from start to eating. I will try to make this new ensaimadang hinayupak. Thank you for the update!
drool* LOL!
That looks soooo good, MM! If you used the foil packet Fleischmann’s …you said equivalent to 1 tbsp.? Are you talking the total amount from the 3 packets? I thought 1 packet is roughly about 2 1/2 to 3 tsp. yeaast which is about equal to 1 tbsp….or maybe we have a different size packet here….so sorry!
looks really good…..
I don’t know how to bake.. I’ll just try the usual ensaimada in the bakery
^__^
wow, those ensaimadas, mm, look so goooood!
The first time I made ensaimada a long time ago I swear next time I’ll just buy from the store.But this delectable looking ensaimadas and the rich ingredients of Marc’s hinayupak recipe made me want to try once more.MM you’re an inspiration!
The brand Saf is also good-quality yeast. How did the ensaimada bottoms look, MM? Sometimes when I bake raisin loaf I also get a fast-browning top portion while the bottom part is still rather pale, slightly soggy and yeasty. I know the culprit is heat control, but you can’t really do damage control and check the bottom mid-way through the process, otherwise the whole thing will deflate. But those ensaimadas do look fabulous!
In the US you can used aged Gouda, it tastes like queso de bola, specially the raw milk version if you can find it. Aged edam is good, too.
Betty Q- I think one packet of yeast is about 1 1/2 tsp. I imagine you somewhere in North America baking and cooking away!
Mimi- clarified butter is good- the corn oil is just for greasing the bowl and the dough ball.
I use a lot more butter than the part II recipe suggests and 12 hrs. total is excellent for developing the lactic acids that improve flavour and shelf life.
Betty Q- you’re right – I just went to the kitchen and measured a packet of yeast- it is about 2 1/2 tsp. (3/4 oz).
you’re right MM, for sure i will check this hinayupak na ensaymada at Salcedo this Saturday! nice photos and they all look delicious.
sister,where can i find queensland butter here in the us?am in south fl.and been looking for it for years but to no avail.that`s what i used for baking when i was still in the middle east.thank you in advance.
Hi MM,
Thanks a lot for posting this. My wife will definitely happy with this recipe. I am actually planning to go to borders or kinokuniya to buy saveur magazine to look for that ensaimada recipe.
Hi BettyQ et all. The Fleischmann’s website says they make 1/4 oz envelopes of yeast, equivalent to 2.25 teaspoons. So three packets would be roughly 6.75 teaspoons or 2.25 tablespoons, as there are 3 teaspoons to a tablespoon. But when I poured them in, it didn’t seem to be that much… so maybe best to try this with 1.5 to 2.0 tablespoons of yeast to be sure… :) Jun, recipe is in the link to the on-line version at the Saveur website…
If one of the definitions of hinayupak is humongous or monstrous, then those ensaymadas sure are hinayupak! Was it only 3 years ago that you gave away the ensymadas for the first eb?
Mila, ONLY 3 years ago? It feels like a lifetime…. :) And now, there are several more “artisanal” ensaimadas for sale in the weekend markets. With some luck, more and more folks will rediscover the older ensaimadas, as the mall ones are a shade of their ancestors, in my personal opinion…
I’ll take the burnt cheese ensaimadas off of your hands anytime! So much better than pale and colorless. =) They look great to me, maybe because they look homemade (which of course we know we are). =)
what does hinayupak means? what dialect?
Betty Q- each packet is 1/4 oz. my mistake again.
I’m out here making Panettone- anyone interested in the recipe? It’s a 2 day project.
Det- I haven’t seen Queensland butter in the US but Land o’ Lakes is widely available and the French or Danish butters are more expensive but have that pronounced flavour. You can try getting Plugra which the French bakeries use.
Looks hinayupak na masarap!! Hahaha…Thanks MM for trying it out.Looks so good…..Idol ka talaga….hahahaha. Thanks!!
For US residents. Try your Filipino stores. In my area, I see Queensland butter stocked on occasion, tho a bit more expensive.
I will plan on making this hinayupak ensaimada……one of these days ,before I go.and I have to get those fluted molds, Betty Q.
I saw a Vietnamese store in Chinatowm selling Queensland butter for …get this $8..99 a can. …so I searched and tried every butter out there that can come close to Brunn (as I remember it in 19 kopong kopong)….found a close relative to Brunn also in a can and made in ALBERTA…YEs! I went to Alberta way back then …..AM I NUTS or WHAT!!!! so those of you over there go look for it. I think the can was blue and yellow. For us here in the Lower Mainland….another “cousin”of Brunn is the one that is made by President’s Choice…the FRESH CHURNED BUTTER…in a green and white carton …not foil wrapped…for the salted ones and yellow and white carton for the unsalted….costs a bit more …but worth it…$5.99 a pound
Connie C…no need to spend over $1000 for plane fare to get those Fluted moulds…ano ka, sira?…Send me your address by e-mail and I will mail you whatever size you want and whatever quantity you want…I have every imaginable size there is…PARANG AWA MO NA!!!! You will do me a favour at hindi ko alam where to store it na. My hubby said ..give it away or donate it to Salvation Army….e, anong malay naman ng mga Canadian na ito kung paaano gamitin iyon. If I mail it this week, you will probably get it before the holidays!!! DALI!!!!!!!!
My grandmother used a stick to roll in the dough as a guide and even rolling. The stick is like a billiard stick that is tapered and slanted at the end. The tapered end is the one that goes in when you coil them. I believe any woodcarving place there can do that for you. She had them in 18 inches and 24 inches long. Once the dough is rolled in using the stick as a guide you have a tapered dough snake and coiling is a 1-2-3 job. With you test running the recipe and Marc sharing his heirloom recipe and Bettyq’s scholastic input you documented and preserved the traditional and artisan ensaimada making for enjoyment of the present and future generations! Long live the ensaimada!!!
Thanks for the tip, Maria Clara…I don’t play pool so is it something like a cake dowel? or is it a bit thicker than a dowel? I think I might have seen it at Home Depot. I bought one a long time ago longer than a rolling pin and just had it cut to size.
Bettyq: A bit thicker than a cake dowel and tapered. I would guess it starts with one inch in diameter at the the bigger flat end and ending in a slanted/biased cut at quarter of an inch thick at the other end. The idea is you do not need to keep rolling and pushing the dough. You just roll the stick and the dough goes with the stick without any resistance.
MM, I will be one of your readers who will take the easier way out — go to Salcedo Market on Saturday and buy Marc’s ensaymada. I bought it before and I will buy it again. In fact, I found your blog last year when I googled “best ensaymada”.
Bettyq: It is a wood stick.
At 99Ranch, they sell this french butter in a red tin can, you can mistake for Queensland butter, forgot what the name is but it is really rich, and the color is really bright yellow, tastes, and looks almost 99% queensland. They store it in their dairy section.
I think Ted you are talking about the butter Sister mentioned up above….it also costs an arm and a leg!
Ted: If you can find European markets in your neighborhood they carry Normandy butter from Normandy, France. I believe it is only a buck difference from its local counterpart. It is really good not only in ensaimada also excellent in butter cookies, shortbread, etc. It comes in a plastic tub, or wrapped like regular butter.
Gina,…sometimes too the culprit is the material the pan is made out of. Dark pans, or stainless steel or the ones that are sometimes too shiny though it is not stainless steel…greased ?…HAY
Ok, MM this is just a short comment, so I thought no need to write this in Word form…I know what you are going to say Connie C. !!!! …I cannot stop laughing!!!!!
As I was saying, Gina…masusunog lalo!!! Do you also have a convection oven? …best one to use for cooking liempo lechon! BUT a no..no…for baking..if you don’t adjust the oven temp…usually 25 degrees LOWER than the recommended baking temp. using an ordinary oven.
betty Q….if Connie C does not want those molds…I can buy them from you…I am in VA.
MM….did you cut your parchment papers in rounds? did they just ‘blend’ with the fluted sides?
mm, where can i buy ensaimada molds?
san, I bought the liners already round, they sell them here. Then butter the pan and lay the round liner in it. Then butter the liner again…
MM…thanks, I guess buttering the tins first and again after the paper rounds were placed will make the paper ‘mold’ along….thanks….had always wondered how the mamons and ensaimadas back home have such perfect shapes and within neat paper ‘cups’. How big are your molds? the paper rounds? Just wondering how much allowance to add….parchment papers here come in rolls or sheets so I will have to cut these rounds on my own.
I tried your family recipe before and loved it….really a labor of love!
Don’t put parchment on the bottom of the mold, just grease well, and you will have nice browned ensaimada bottoms, I’m not a fan of undercooked dough. If you insist, papel de hapon works better than parchment.
San…are you another sira? I;m just kiddding! I am practically giving them away…pleading with Connie C to take them!!! Now, what size do you ant…I have from mufffin size ensaymada mould to ones that are as as “lapad” as my face…an entire family of six can share that!!!
Estella…you are going back to Pinas, right? I bought mine in Divisoria..by the kitchen utensil section….Do not buy at Sur La Table….can costs you up to $3.00 each! So go out and buy the entire stock at that Chinese store in Divisoria! Your US$100 will practically buy the entire ensaymada tin inventory!!!…and different sizes pa…as little or as many as you want!…at Sur La Table, that will get you only 3 dozens…
But if somebody else already beat you to it, then let me know, and I can also part with some of mine.
sister….sorry….what are papel de hapon? japanese paper? where can you buy them, here in the US? also wanted to bake some buns (like asado) to give away as gifts (para magandang tingnan)…TIA!
Send me an e-mail San telling me what size you want and I will mail it to you right away so you can have ENSAIMADA with HOT CHOCOLATE and leftover ham for Christmas morning!…mymudcake@hotmail.com
I think I can still make the deadline for mailing packages at Canada Post!
I second San, Sister papel de hapon is it the same as tissue paper they use for gift wrapping? I know they use papel de hapon in wrapping pastillas. Can you use papel de hapon for baking like lining the pan? Thanks in advance Sister for your thoughts.
betty q …. we must be posting at the same time….I can use any size, any number but let Connie have first dip…I make breads (filled buns for my DS to bring to school for lunch) However, you would have to let me pay for postage and send you some stuff in exchange…..let me know if you need anything from the US. my email: rts306@gmail.com
BETTYQ, YOU’RE SO NICE! FOR SURE I WILL GO TO DIVISORIA TO BUY THE ENSAIMADA MOLDS. AFTER ALL THESE ENSAIMADA 101 LESSONS FROM
MM, MARC AND YOU, I AM ENCOURAGED TO BAKE SOME FOR MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS WHEN I GET BACK FROM MY PINAS VACATION. BY THE WAY, I ALSO WANT TO MAKE TSOKOLATENG BATIROL SO WHAT BRAND DO YOU THINK THAT I CAN BUY THERE TO TAKE WITH ME TO THE U.S.? HERE AT HOME I ONLY USE THE ONE THAT I BUY FROM MEXICO. THE OTHER ONE THAT IS GOOD, TOO, IS THE NESTLEY UNSWEETENED CHOCOLATE POWDER…
Betty Q ,will email you about the fluted molds. Where are you in Virtgina, San? I am just across the bridge from Alexandria on the Maryland side. Maybe the molds can be sent to one address ( mine, hee, hee, hee) and San and I can divvy them up if San lives nearby and we can meet someplace or halfway if not too far away.
Sister,…I have lots of papel de hapon…I made ambition to make polvoron but never got around to it…too busy experimenting! If we use that as a liner… assuming that the papel de hapon is not as sturdy as the parchment, won’t it disintegrate…also maybe it’s best to use the white papel de hapon so the color won’t bleed?
You know when you buy breakables, Maria Clara, and they wrap those first in paper befpore they put it into the bags…I think it is also papel de hapon!
San,…believe me when I say, I have MORE THAN ENOUGH to spread around! So, I will get in touch with you and have Canada Post take care of it before Friday!
thanks for sharing your experiment on cooking this ensaimada.
i know what i want for breakfast on the 6th in Salcedo market. Now where do I find good hot chocolate? :)
Bettyq: I got you but it is food grade paper – meaning can you use it for food or it is manufactured solely for wrapping breakables or stuffing materials. Yes, I have the same thought as you do that it is not sturdy enough to withstand the greased in baking and it will tattered into pieces eventually. Sister is a well-versed and knowledgeable person so I am sitting tight here awaiting her thoughts.
Betty Q…pinagkiaw mo ba ang Divisoria?…you sound like me…too many ambitions and recipes to try out but only 10% done…but then we are all busy…being driver, maid, labandera, gardener etc, right?
Connie C….I live in the west end of Fairfax…where in MD are you?
For all of you interested in hot chocolate, there are two interesting posts in the archives:
First, an innocent enough post of making hot chocolate, where a commenter was quite certain that a batidor wasn’t a batidor…
Second, my follow up post that went a little further to assert that a batidor can be a batidor…
At any rate, those looking for batidors and tsokolateras can go to Nana Meng’s outlets to buy some this holiday season, I got mine at the Glorietta 4 outlet, or to provincial markets…the bohol markets have lots of these… Also, the peueo chocolate stalls in large bazaars carry the discs and the batidors…
i didn’t realise it was huge until i saw the 9th pic. . . hehe
That is one HUGE ensaymada!
MM…oops, missed your sentence of “5 1/2 inch mold..” now, I am drooling for the hot chocolate and churrios, too
just curious . . .what does hinayupak really mean?
i enjoyed reading through the recipe of mark medina and imagined ( just imagined!) making some with all the tips from MM and the other readers . had a good laugh too about betty q’s dying to give away the molds but like some of the readers, i will just hie off to salcedo market and buy marc’s ensaimada!
Sonia…were you out of town? ..on holidays, maybe? I asked him the same question and I got a brief history lesson on the origin of hinayupak!!!…Initially, I thought maybe Kapampangan…Now, I wonder what the root word is?..yupak?
San…your generous offer is greatly appreciated! How about this…instead of sending me something in return, please just send it to MM’s feeding program …even $5.00 would most likely feed 2 kids…would it, MM?
betty q., $5 feeds 10 meals or so… :)
Betty Q….done! Now, MM pls email me as to how I can send you the money….also…pardon me….betty, I am the one with too many ambitions and only finish 10%….you seem to be able to accomplish all of your ambitions and more! I have to admit that sometimes I do not have time to read all the comments on this blog (always many to each post)….but I definitely read all those on the Christmas recipe request….gosh…betty had so so many contributions….I copied them all….have to try them all one of these days.
Thanks, MM, Betty Q
san, details of marketmanila’s feeding program 2008, here.
So sorry…shd have gone back a few posts and read all the info..MM I will arrange with relatives back home to deposit money into that account.
WOWOWOWOEEE!!!! Look at those uber-big uber-yummy-looking ensaimadas! I feel like licking my screen right now!
Growing up, I learned to use hinyupak from a delivery/driver. My yaya was furious as she considered it most unladylike! Don’t know the origin, but the way I’ve learned to use it, I’d say it like using the expression “god damn” with connotation of the object being the source of frustration. For example, if the driver was trying to change tires and could not remove the screws from the hubcaps, he might say walang hiya, itong hinayupak na gulong na ito.
Don’t know if this is accurate but this is the way I learned to use it.
isn’t ” hinayupak” translates “badass” in a good way?…
anyway is quesodebola available in the phil. all year round?
i’m going home in march, i’m planning to fill my suitcases coming back with qdbola, different types of molds and maybe that special yeast from Salcedo….I’m imagining I will make these ensaymadas…..
betty q, i was wondering about the canned butter you saw that was made in Alberta. i’ll be on the hunt for it when i make my marketing rounds over the weekend (i’m in Calgary). I’d love to make something close to a Brunn butter cake for the holidays.
From what i remember, the brand name I think is Dairy Maid…I know it is in a blue and yellow can. If the Dairy was bought out , it oculd be under a different brand….OR if the major Dairy like here…Dairyland…the butter let’s say, Neilsen brand or Beatrice…made by the same company…Dairylnd. So there in Alberta, the same butter may carry a different brand.
I will surely buy the ensaimada molds on my next trip to the Philippines, can’t seem to find them here in Saudi Arabia. BTW, can I use muffins baking tins and make mini-ensaimada?
Reading this thread with great interest. Does this taste like ensaimadas made in Mallorca (Spain)? I assume this is the origin of this pastry. The Mallorcan pastry looks similar except that it’s much larger. Your ensaimadas look like mini-Mallorcans.
Also, very curious about the canned butter which I have never had (to be honest, I didn’t even know that canned butter is even available nowadays). Does it taste different from fresh butter? I do not bake often but do like the “European style” butters for baking which are denser (lower water content).
Sister,
I’d love to have your recipe for panettone!
Sonia, bluegirl… Marc entertainingly answers the “what does hinayupak mean” question in the Days of Feasting, Saveur post. In short, it comes from “hayop”, but I’m guessing “hinayupak” is a superlative, ie “super hayop” or “hayop-er” :D
Ang galing nyo MM & Betty Q!Saludo ako!
Maria Clara: thanks for the dough stick technique! am just wondering if handmade ba yang stick or mabibili somewhere? i do have a wooden noodle rolling pin, tapered siya sa ends kaso hindi 18 or 24 inches.
this is a little out of today’s topic, but i was prompted to write after reading the back and forth communications between different bloggers.. specifically bettyq. I just wanted to tell MM that because of your site I just had a phone conversation with one of the blogger who also reside here in Houston. We spoke about food of course (Cebu lechon) and had agreed to meet sometime. She has an american hubby like mine and we both wanted to try cooking some of the dishes here. So thanks MM and bettyq.. I gained a friend because of this site.
Did the recipe today (halved it). I agree with MM the yeast was a little too much and baking time could be set at 15 minute
(perhaps turn off the oven and leave it there for 5 minutes) I baked only half the dough, the other (this is after the remaining butter had been kneaded in and allowed to rise in room temp for about 20 min) I have kept covered in the refrigerator to experiment on tomorrow. Will post results of that too.
I did not line the molds with parchment paper (kapuy), no need- using a mixture of melted butter and a little canola, brushed this on the molds ( make sure there is no excess butter pooling on the bottom) the ensaimadas popped out very easily.
For those in the United States Plugra Unsalted Butter is available in Trader Joe’s at $ 3.29 a pound (a pound is equivalent to 2 cups or 32 tablespoons, so you can divide this whole block proportionally- slice it in half, each half into fourths and so on ….
Love your blog Marketman. Sister- the ensaimada was a planned week endeavor; the Panettone was next on my list, then saw a beautifully wrapped one in DeLaurenti, Seattle,
Betty Q and Sister, thanks for the tips on oven heat control and nicely-browned bottoms of baked goodies.
EbbaMyra, thanks for your comment, and glad you have met other readers… Mimi, a good friend gave me an ensaimada stick. It was made from a guava branch that was quite smooth…
MM, not just EbbaMyra gained a friend through your blog. After the Lechon EB in Cebu, Millet (of Davao) and I have become friends, exchanging emails and text messages. We even planned to meet at Salcedo Market last Saturday but that EB didn’t materialize because of time conflicts. I was in Salcedo and she was too, but we missed each other by a fraction of an hour. Thanks MM.
Additional note on the ensaimadas: As the recipe states- You really do not have to worry about the tears when you spread them into thin translucent 14 x 14 squares. As you sprinkle cheese and it falls through the holes and unto the kitchen surface; the dough catches those cheese bits anyway.Now, what this does on the finished product is; it forms pockets or caverns filled with melted cheese. So a little of those in your ensaimdada wouldn’t be too bad would it? Hay ka lami!
moni, you are welcome! I was out of town that weekend, or I would have been at the market!
MM will this work if you put ube filling?
Manila people, maybe we could have cooking demos?
What do you think? =p
butsoy, “hinayupak” is a take-off from the superlative “hayup sa sarap” or “hayup sa ganda”. In marc’s ensaymada, the original usage must have been “hayup sa sarap” or “pinakmasarap” and not “hayup ka” as in “animal ka”. Sorry MM, I’m using such words in your blog to clarify what “marc’s hinayupak na ensaymada” means. Take it from a Cebuano speaker! But I do remember my balarila.
by the way MM and for all those living in Cebu, if you need eggyolks for this hinayupak na ensaimada, i have a lot of eggyolks for FREE. These are leftovers from our silvanas and since we bake silvanas everyday, we have a daily surplus of eggyolks! we tried making leche flan and other baked items to make use of the yolks but it is so time consuming and we would just rather concentrate on our silvanas. the people we’ve given fried yolks to are now complaining of dizziness. hehehe. the yolks don’t last long in the ref and if frozen, they’re not good for baking anymore because freezing sorts of “cooks” them in the process. You might want to use these for the feeding program too, MM. People of the neighborhood, you can text me at 09177265626 anytime. thanks!
Sister, would appreciate the recipe for the panettone. Will try it this Christmas
joan, good grief, make some ensaimadas for sale with those egg yolks! or yemas! or tortas (shortcut recipe in my archives)! Sayang! :)
I don’t think wrapping tissue is as sturdy as the papel de hapon used for pastillas but I may be wrong, food grade is a consideration. Parchment paper in the US is very stiff as it is coated for easy release. Available from Bridgekitchenware.com. I noticed the pre-cut paper marketman uses that is for sale in Manila is thinner than US parchment but stiffer than papel de hapon. There is stiffer parchment pre-cut into circles available in the US at cake supply stores.
Actually wax paper works well, just make sure the shiny waxed side is away from the dough.If your fluted pans are well seasoned and greased (don’t wash in between uses) a nicely browned ensaimada bottom I think is preferable.
Will try and measure out recipe for panettone today and forward to marketman.
haay MM, we did that na but i don’t have the time to bake more stuff because my work gets crazier come december. My husband naman is up to his neck baking and delivering the silvanas. if you only knew how much yolks we’ve wasted, you’ll kill me. hehe. we’ve given out a lot na but there are still more yolks folks!
yeah, moni, that’s why i said “badass in a good way” like for example , i saw a very good movie, i would say”that’s badass!!…more of a slang term for good..like hinayupak it can mean two things, like you said “supersarap” not hinayupak ka!(which is considered cussing..) I wasn’t implying that hinayupak was used as a curse word. I shouldn’t have used “bad ass” bec some people take it literally, but where I’m from it’s as normal as “cool” or “sweet!” seriously, i don’t have a potty mouth…..
Yes, Sister, please!!! One of our cooks in the “cop shop” was this nice old Italian lady who literally shoved food in our faces…she would say”eat, eat!”…She gave me her recipe of Panettone. BUT I cannot find it in my stack of pieces of paper in my tupperware!!!
I would greatly appreciate it very much if you could share yours. I can find it on the web or my cookbooks but I concur with the others who commented before that there are certain tricks of the trade some cookbooks leave out…intentionally or not?…maybe saving paper ?…not sure why!
Hey Sister, someone mentioned they would like to have a cooking demo in Pinas in one of the posts… I forgot which one now!..If you would give one in New York, I will fly out there…blizzard or rain…doesn’t matter! I told your little brother in my e-mail to him that I am a HUGE FAN OF HIM AND YOU and any input …blah…blah…blah!!!!
I’m telling you Betty Q that tupperware again! You can’t be losing precious recipes like that! I’ll call you na nga for a computer tutorial .
Sorry MM, off topic na naman ako, but BettyQ lives here.
What are you talking about, Connie C.!…HA!!! You do live here, too!
Thanks Sister for the input. Mimi, I do not know if they sell the ensaimada rolling stick at baking supply store. I am aware that they had them made at woodcarving shop ensuring the finishing is smooth, free of splinters and scent.
Betty Q, I will share panettone recipe with you as soon as I get it measured out, it is far more delicious home made than store bought and I have tried it from many Italian bakeries. Start saving your lemon and orange peels in the freezer. Bakeries wrap it so attractively for the holidays and you can,too, with large sheets of “Cellophane” and tin cans. The last real cellophane factory in the world closed a few years ago but there is food grade clear wrapper available in rolls at flower and food shops.
Hay….THANK YOU EVER SO MUCH SISTER! I shall await your post on this one…Do you think I can bake it in a terra cotta pot?…maybe not…could be glazed with undesirables!
Maria Clara…I saw on E-bay CANNED BUTTER…made in New Zealand!…maybe a cousin to Brunn butter?
Can Queensland canned butter be a substitute for Bruun butter?
cai, yes, it can. It has that stronger flavor. sister is madly measuring now, as she NEVER measures, just bakes by feel, something I will never be able to do!
whoa! I just had a very busy week with no time to surf and now I’m at least 4 posts and maybe over 300 comments behind. This blog sure is busy. Just wondering at this late point why ensaimada is very much associated with Pampanga. I have an officemate from San Fernando who gives them out come December and then we know that really, Christmas is just around the corner. Ensaimada makes erfect breakfast with hot chocolate on Christmas morning!
Connie C…if you’re still following this thread, I forgot to tell you that Canada Post said you will get the package by the end of next week. I also put 2 jars of homemade strawberry jam…to eat with your ensaymada on Christmas morning. I hope hindi mabasag! Also, be sure to inspect the botttom of the box..I put a detailed ensaymada novella as Natie says …
MM, I just found out my very own sister has coiling issues, too! I am heading out to her place tom. to give her remedial classes…So , I think it is NOT a man thing…this coiling …except of course, Marc!!!!
Great! Thanks Marketman, I’m gonna try it with the butter cake…if only I could find a recipe similar with Vargas.
Hi Sister,
I love panettone so much i dont mind shelling out P1,600 for one at The Gustavian.
Can i ask for your recipe also please? Would LOVE to make my own, anytime of the year, and not just enjoy it during Christmas.
May I know where to find the stall of Marc Medina in the Salcedo Market?
Checked the Keller’s Creamery Website – they make Plugra and here is what they said:
“Plugrá, (pronounced PLOO GRA), is a European style butter lower in moisture and higher in butterfat than conventional butters. Plugrá butter imparts a richer taste and smoother texture to foods and is long preferred by leading chefs, bakers, confectioners and anyone who appreciates fine food.”
I’ve been able to get Plugra at my neighborhood Kroger. They have a store finder in the website and it says it is also available at the Rice Epicurean, Whole Foods, HEB and Fiesta in my area.
Hello EbbaMyra! It was great to talk to you the other day. Let’s get together soon.
Yes BettyQ. I am still following, coz don’t want to miss MM’s post and other posts of the day for anything in this world. Just busy with lots of goings on and trying to stay focused before I leave for Pinas. Thank you, thank you for your unexpected surprises in my fluted mold package.
For the holiday Christmas ham, I searched for the best priced Smithfield ham….lean economic times you know . Sister mentioned Luter’s brand. Apparently, practically all these country hams, made in Smithfield, VA anyway, belong to one company (Luter’s) that bought up the other smaller ones to become a billion dollar pork industry.
The company also laments the leaning of the American pork ( healthier consumer choices) which makes for thinner fat and a drier ham, so the search for a fattier pork in some instances. See, everything in this world is engineered by consumer demands…this one is for good. So I will buy the Gwaltney brand that will only set me back $30 for a 15 pound ham…..the smaller the better so it will fit in my pot. I will soak for 3 days just as sister instructed in her recipe to make a less salty ham and rehydrate properly or….. with all my other unhealthy cooking ambitions, might give my husband an apoplexy.
we have always used gwaltney’s and luter’s both good with the ensaimada. nabibili sa chiantown ng san francisco. my lola used to say both were the closest to the hamon chino they used to get from binondo (most likely that’s hangzhou ham).
try newsom’s ham from kentucky. i think i like that better than gwaltney’s. or not. depende sa mood.
Yes Marc, there are other country hams not labeled Smithfield.
The Kentucky hams are supposed to be good too, but in my neck of the woods, Smithfields are more popular because VA is just next door.
Oh, I tried your adobo, I still think Datu Puti vinegar beats the white wine vinegar and not just because of the price. For nearly less than 3 times the price, the cheaper Datu Puti is the winner, so for me the type of vinegar does matter. Thanks for your ideas and for sharing.
“Frentel” is the name of the butter that closely resembles Queensland, that i got from 99Ranch here in the SF bay area.
datu puti works well kasi matapang yung pampaasim. tsaka pakukuluan mo naman yan eh kaya matatanggal yung pagka-acidic. kasi yung “isfeysal” na suka sa pampanga parang sayang naman gamitin pampaluto. yung pang-table vinegar ay tawag “aslam atbo” or sukang gawa sa molasses (atbo sa kapampangan).
yung mga special na suka galing sa iba’t ibang bahagi ng pinas, para kasing sayang gamitin sa pagluluto, gaya ng suka na gawa sa sago palm sa agusan at surigao. pang-kinilaw lang yun di pampaluto ng adobo. kung pakukuluan mo lang, ok na yung datu puti.
huwag kalimutan kainin ma may kasamang linamas na hilaw na kamatis at masarap na bagoong (or patis)….
sige Marc. will do as you say. Itatago ko lang yong bagoong at patis from my salt loving hubby na may alta presyon. Matakaw pati sa kanin kasi yong adobong kapampangan mo. Maybe I’ll hide the caldero as well.
ang KJ mo naman….
these ensaymadas look yummy! i feel bad cuz i was in manila 2 weeks ago and didn’t get a chance to check out the weekend markets mentioned here… i’m also looking for the brunn butter cake recipe… anyone have it? thanks!
MM,
I don’t think it’s the temp that was the problem; rather, it was how close your dough (especially when it rose) to the heating element. The temp you used (350) is important to fluff up the dough some more as it starts to bake (that’s why it is also important not to over rise this, in anticipation of this rise in the oven). If you use a lower heat, you might have a denser ensaymada (imagine leche flan for analogy). Baking them for a shorter time with the above temp might result to underbaked middle (you don’t want that dough at the middle!) especially that these look big!
My suggested (unsolicited) solutions would be:
Place at the middle rack, or
Bake for 10 minutes (not earlier, to ensure it makes that final rise), then rotate horizontally and place on the lower rack (you can also put an empty pan on top so prevent further browning of the buns). [I also suggest that you quickly sprinkle your grated cheese at this point rather than before baking to prevent them from getting burnt.] Continue to bake until you achieve desired brownness.
I grew up helping around in our lowly cheapy type of neighborhood bakery in Quezon City. Until I tried baking myself in the recent years, I never realized how many “tips” and methods I have actually picked up and retained from those days of observing the bakers do their thing. Now I only need the recipes to recreate in my kusina those staple rolls we used to sell. Bad thing is, my father stopped his bakery, the recipes got wet in a flood. I am trying to bribe my brother now into procuring those recipes, and as usual, twist them so I can recreate using what’s available, in the amount that serves a family of 5. (and I have learned to freeze them if I make more than we can eat at a time, for future use).
I have been baking ensaymada for a while so I know the drill. I saw this recipe and was surprised at the amount of heart-clogging ingredients you use. I took the liberty to get the total calories per serving and got a whopping 937 per piece! That would be enough for my breakfast and lunch combined. I did not bother to check the fat content. The ingredients speak for themselves.
I don’t mind baking this sinful recipe as they do look good, but I’ll remember to warn my family, especially those with heart problems, to be very wary. I suggest you do the same.
I do commend you for putting your recipe and pictures online. A lot of cooks would hold onto their treasured, family-tested, recipes. You did well. More power to you.
Can I ask you where I can buy Queensland canned butter. I remember it from my youth, and I’ve googled it and can’t find it for sale anywhere. I’m in the US, and I’ll take any suggestions. Thanks.
Alma: since you are in the US, try e-bay. I saw canned butter beng sold or up for bid…made in New Zealnd which I think is close enough to Australia!
Revisited the Saveur recipe after drooling over those ensaimada pictures. Did I read the recipe right: 7 cups of flour= 10 ensaimadas? Are these the individual sized buns or enormous breads? Any clue? Thanks.
Crissy, these are large, notice how they take up a large portion of a normal dinner plate up above. The small individual sized ensaimadas sold in malls are a paltry representation of their ancestors… An ensaimada should be big, in my opinion. :)
the ensaymadas look yummy :) :) :). i’ve been making ensaymada na rin yet gusto ko yung bread texture ng megamelt ensaymada even yun muchlach ensaymada. pano ba ma-achieve ganun bread texture, sobrang lambot does anyone knows the technique or “special ingredients” used. thank you.
to all kitchen aid mixer users, meron ba kayo naencounter while mixing the ensaymada dough nag-iinit yun mixer at mukha na hihirapan mag mix. i encountered this, once lang naman yet sa takot ko baka mag overheat so i manually knead the dough instead.
Is the Medina ensaymada still being sold at the Salcedo Market? Was there on my recent trip back to Pinas. Didn’t see it but perhaps it was marketed under a different name? Didn’t see the super thin piayas either, just regular piayas.
sunflowii, yes, the hinayupak ensaimadas are still sold at the market. They often get sold out by 8 or 9 am. They are at a stall with other dishes from Pampanga, not sure if it even had a name. They are fairly close (across) from the French food stall.
Where can I get Panettone paper moulds here in the philippines?*
Can anyone recommend a good local active dry yeast? And where to buy it? How about Fleischmann’s Yeast? I tried looking at Rustan’s but they have been out of stock for a while now.
Thanks!